Predicting the anyon required basic changes in our understanding of quantum statistics. The prediction is often incorrectly attributed exclusively to Frank Wilczek, while the first clear predictions were by Leinaas and Myrheim in 1977 [1]} and by Menikoff, Sharp, and myself in 1980-1981 [2]}, [3]}, from different theoretical perspectives. Wilczek's 1982 work [4]}, [5]} took still a third path to the prediction. He also coined the name “anyons” to describe such particles. This article describes the early history of intermediate quantum statistics, including the predecessor ideas that led to those predictions. Some immediately subsequent insights, often overlooked in citing early published results, are also described [6]}, [7]}, [8]}.
